Got some bad news the other day when I took little Charlie in for her annual checkup. Heartworm positive bloodwork. They are really bad in our area, and while I've had her on the 6-month shots since I got her from the pound in late 2021, she apparently had already contracted them when I adopted her. It takes 6-7 months for them to mature and the bloodwork requires mature female worms to be present for a positive test. So here we are.

My local vet uses what they call the "slow kill method" with Doxy and monthly worm tabs, while another local clinic uses the more intensive two-shot method with several months of immobilization needed, as the dying worms can cause blood clots if the dog is boisterous. I'm likely going to get a second test performed, just to be sure. Looking for advice here, as this pup is young, probably just over 2 years old, and is extremely active, strong, and athletic. She could likely jump up into my pickup window if I told her to. It would be hard to keep her still for 60 days, so I'm concerned about the dangers of throwing a clot. Also concerned about the damage to her organs if we go the Slow route...... frown

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